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Most of the times we need to accomplish that ourselves, however, there are cases where it can happen without our active pursuit.

I usually feel a sense of general contentment with my life. My life is awesome. First world country and all, I have had the chance to be able to pursue my happiness, and have it mostly be in my control.

If you follow Maslow's Hierarchy of needs (Which I am doing in my definition of 'happiness' just for simplification purposes), some people only need the bottom part satisfied in order to be happy, because to them, that is what is attainable. You can make your happiness by reaching and achieving goals, which leads to a sense of self-respect and worth, or you can live life day to day without direction and still be complacent. I don't really think you end up completely happy to your fullest ability.

Both happen. But we shouldn't rely on stumbling or coming upon stuff to make us happy all the time, we've got to make it too; do things that make us happy because that is more consistent than the former. But randomly stumbling upon stuff that makes us happy is nice too ^^'

"Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor."

I believe that there isn't really an answer to this question because people are so vast and different. Some people are what I call "materially happy," because they need tangible proof of their accomplishments in order to feel fullfillment. Some people don't need things to be happy, and feel fullfillment within their selves, and see materials as a result (many artists are like this). While others just sort of move through life and do whatever makes them happy. There isn't just one way to feel joy.

even if we don't understand each other, that's not a reason to reject each other. There are two sides to any argument. Is there one point of view that has all the answers? Give it some thought.

^ This is the reason why I like arguing. If I come off as standoffish or overly angry in an argument, don't worry. I'm probably having the time of my life. Whether I agree with them or not, the pokemon fandom has a lot of different opinions, and I love how nobody is afraid to share them.

Everyone is different. However, I think people can be happy if they choose to be. There are people who have gone through a lot of things and are still happy because they choose not to let bad things affect the way they feel. I don't think people really stumble upon happiness because you can't wait for things to happen in your favor, you have to go out and make things happen.

[IMG]http://i48.*******.com/sy0adu.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i47.*******.com/2445pqo.jpg[/IMG]
Credit goes to eeveelover824 for the team pose and SM for the userbar

you make your own happiness and you are the only person that can take it away. if someone makes you upset it is your choice to get upset instead of brushing it off and remaining happy.

Shinies:
Chandelure-4 and a half hour search in celestial tower.
Zigzagoon-Most random encounter... i was looking for a normal wingull/swellow and sort of stumbled upon it
Psyduck-Sort of just training a venesaur against some golduck and a pretty blue psyduck came along (Now a Golduck)
Ekans-1 hour After a blue psyduck i was walking from vermilion city to lavender town and stumbled into the grass (purely by accident) and found a nice golden ekans. (Now an Arbok)
Gyarados- yes... the shiny everyone has.
Volbeat- Another one i sort of stumbled on... training a snorlax above the resort area
Vileplume-Traded from the GTS.
Soul Silver Team:
B/W Team

Honestly, I believe happiness is something you have to choose to find. I mean, of course, everyone has their bad days and gets down, but you can;t go around in life expecting other or something to pick you up and make you happy again. You have to choose to be happy. You have to want it. Waiting on happiness to come to you will get you nowhere but down. Optimism I believe is key to a fruitful and successful life.

Not really. I don't think one is responsible or capable of making their own happiness.

you can make decisions that will make you happy... i count that as making happiness :P

Shinies:
Chandelure-4 and a half hour search in celestial tower.
Zigzagoon-Most random encounter... i was looking for a normal wingull/swellow and sort of stumbled upon it
Psyduck-Sort of just training a venesaur against some golduck and a pretty blue psyduck came along (Now a Golduck)
Ekans-1 hour After a blue psyduck i was walking from vermilion city to lavender town and stumbled into the grass (purely by accident) and found a nice golden ekans. (Now an Arbok)
Gyarados- yes... the shiny everyone has.
Volbeat- Another one i sort of stumbled on... training a snorlax above the resort area
Vileplume-Traded from the GTS.
Soul Silver Team:
B/W Team

I believe only you can make your own happiness, only you can set your self up with people, and only other people can help you along the way, never try to be happy JUST by yourself, share it with as many people as you can

LOOKING FOR A LIST OF ALL 3000+ MEW XD MOVE TUTOR COMBINATIONS. Please PM if you have one

I think you make happiness If you want happiness, you have to go out and get it, if you sit and wait for it to stumble upon you, you might never get it. Oftentimes you have to work for what you want. Im not saying you cant stumble upon happiness but you cant depend on that. If you want something, you have to go out and get it.

Happiness is a fuzzy concept - it means many things to many people. One individual might find joy in the misery of millions, and another might find the same pleasure in liberating the other man's regiment.

Fitting with the question of the OP, I believe personally that Happiness is a construct of one's intent. I have yet to achieve full bliss in the lightest sense of the term - sure, a television and a nice CRPG make me emotionally subdued from the raging depression, but until I invent the perfect intelligence, I won't truly be "Happy."

So I suppose I ask the thread this as a counterbalance: Is happiness merely an emotional state of which most strive to feel, or is it an objectively ethereal state of being that the lot of us seek to achieve one way or another - a state of "Pseudo-Nirvana" if you will? By that extent, how would you define it? Is it a measurable chemical state of the mind, or the natural end state of the soul that all humanity seeks to reach?

I believe it's a bit of both, because you never know what can happen. You can find happiness when you least expect it & just doing the things you love can make you happy as well. Just gotta believe & not give up on it.

I agree that's it a bit of both. I am of the opinion that the way your life plays out is a combination of chances and choices. It's all about the choices and chances that are in your control and out of your control.
For instance, with me, I am reasonably happy in my personal life, but not as happy with my professional life. Within my personal life, I am subject to my own choices and the chances that I have, but within my professional life I can only react to the choices that my employer makes.
For instance, I may choose to apply to a job, but I am subject to the employers' choice to interview me, to offer me a job, etc. etc.
I believe there is a lot of things in life in which you are never in control of, no matter what people try to say, and then there are some things that you are wholly in control of.

I think a lot of your happiness can come from how you approach day-to-day activity - happiness is heavily related to perception. Of course life circumstances will affect the degree of classifiably 'happy' things that happen to you , but in general, happiness can be generated by people. If you project cheer and good nature, others will be much more likely to return the sentiments.

I am not worried, Harry. I am with you.

^This is my new fanfic. It's a work in progress, so please read and comment at your discretion. I hope you like it. I think you will.